Tarikh (al-Tabari) 145
The story of Abraham the Friend (peace and blessings be upon him)
وَكَانَ أَهْلُ مَدْيَنَ كُفَّارًا يَقْطَعُونَ السَّبِيلَ، وَيُخِيفُونَ الْمَارَّةَ، وَيَعْبُدُونَ الْأَيْكَةَ، وَهِيَ شَجَرَةٌ مِنَ الْأَيْكِ حَوْلَهَا غَيْضَةٌ مُلْتَفَّةٌ بِهَا، وَكَانُوا مِنْ أَسُوءِ النَّاسِ مُعَامَلَةً يَبْخَسُونَ الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ، وَيُطَفِّفُونَ فِيهِمَا يَأْخُذُونَ بِالزَّائِدِ، وَيَدْفَعُونَ بِالنَّاقِصِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ وَسَّعَ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي الرِّزْقِ وَبَسَطَ لَهُمْ فِي الْعَيْشِ اسْتِدْرَاجًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُ مَعَ كُفْرِهِمْ بِاللَّهِ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ فِيهِمْ رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ، وَهُوَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ شُعَيْبٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ الْعُلَمَاءُ: بَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى إِلَى مَدْيَنَ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عِشْرِينَ سَنَةً، فَدَعَاهُمْ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ تَعَاطِي هَذِهِ الْأَفَاعِيلِ الْقَبِيحَةِ مِنْ بَخْسِ النَّاسِ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ، وَإِخَافَتِهِمْ لَهُمْ فِي سُبُلِهِمْ وَطُرُقَاتِهِمْ، فَآمَنَ بِهِ بَعْضُهُمْ، وَكَفَرَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ حَتَّى أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ بِهِمُ الْبَأْسَ الشَّدِيدَ، وَهُوَ الْوَلِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُمْ مِنْ إِلَهٍ غَيْرُهُ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُمْ بَيِّنَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ. أَيْ دَلَالَةٌ وَحُجَّةٌ وَاضِحَةٌ، وَبُرْهَانٌ قَاطِعٌ عَلَى صِدْقِ مَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِهِ. وَأَنَّهُ أَرْسَلَنِي، وَهُوَ مَا أَجْرَى اللَّهُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْمُعْجِزَاتِ الَّتِي لَمْ تُنْقَلْ إِلَيْنَا تَفْصِيلًا، وَإِنْ كَانَ هَذَا اللَّفْظُ قَدْ دَلَّ عَلَيْهَا إِجْمَالًا. فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا. أَمَرَهُمْ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنِ الظُّلْمِ، وَتَوَعَّدَهُمْ عَلَى خِلَافِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ: ذَلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ. أَيْ طَرِيقٍ تُوعِدُونَ أَيْ تَتَوَعَّدُونَ النَّاسَ بِأَخْذِ أَمْوَالِهِمْ مِنْ مُكُوسٍ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ، وَتُخِيفُونَ السُّبُلَ قَالَ السُّدِّيُّ فِي تَفْسِيرِهِ عَنِ الصَّحَابَةِ: وَلَا تَقْعُدُوا بِكُلِّ صِرَاطٍ تُوعِدُونَ. أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَأْخُذُونَ الْعُشُورَ مِنْ أَمْوَالِ الْمَارَّةِ. وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، عَنْ جُوَيْبِرٍ، عَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانُوا قَوْمًا طُغَاةً بُغَاةً يَجْلِسُونَ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ يَبْخَسُونَ النَّاسَ يَعْنِي يَعْشُرُونَهُمْ، وَكَانُوا أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَنَّ ذَلِكَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ وَتَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا. فَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ قَطْعِ الطَّرِيقِ الْحِسِّيَّةِ الدُّنْيَوِيَّةِ وَالْمَعْنَوِيَّةِ الدِّينِيَّةِ وَاذْكُرُوا إِذْ كُنْتُمْ قَلِيلًا فَكَثَّرَكُمْ وَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ. ذَكَّرَهُمْ بِنِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ فِي تَكْثِيرِهِمْ بَعْدَ الْقِلَّةِ، وَحَذَّرَهُمْ نِقْمَةَ اللَّهِ بِهِمْ إِنْ خَالَفُوا مَا أَرْشَدَهُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَدَلَّهُمْ عَلَيْهِ، كَمَا قَالَ لَهُمْ فِي الْقِصَّةِ الْأُخْرَى: وَلَا تَنْقُصُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ إِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ بِخَيْرٍ وَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ مُحِيطٍ. أَيْ لَا تَرْكَبُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَسْتَمِرُّوا فِيهِ، فَيَمْحَقَ اللَّهُ بَرَكَةَ مَا فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيُفْقِرَكُمْ، وَيُذْهِبَ مَا بِهِ يُغْنِيكُمْ، وَهَذَا مُضَافٌ إِلَى عَذَابِ الْآخِرَةِ، وَمَنْ جُمِعَ لَهُ هَذَا وَهَذَا فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِالصَّفْقَةِ الْخَاسِرَةِ، فَنَهَاهُمْ أَوَّلًا عَنْ تَعَاطِي مَا لَا يَلِيقُ مِنَ التَّطْفِيفِ، وَحَذَّرَهُمْ سَلْبَ نِعْمَةِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ، وَعَذَابَهُ الْأَلِيمَ فِي أُخْرَاهُمْ، وَعَنَّفَهُمْ أَشَدَّ تَعْنِيفٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمْ آمِرًا بَعْدَمَا كَانَ عَنْ ضِدِّهِ زَاجِرًا: وَيَا قَوْمِ أَوْفُوا الْمِكْيَالَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدِينَ بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ. قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ، وَالْحَسَنُ الْبَصْرِيُّ: بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ. أَيْ رِزْقُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَخْذِ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالتَّطْفِيفِ، وَقَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ: مَا فَضَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الرِّبْحِ بَعْدَ وَفَاءِ الْكَيْلِ، وَالْمِيزَانِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَخْذِ أَمْوَالِ النَّاسِ بِالتَّطْفِيفِ. قَالَ: وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَهَذَا الَّذِي قَالَهُ وَحَكَاهُ حَسَنٌ، وَهُوَ شَبِيهٌ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: قُلْ لَا يَسْتَوِي الْخَبِيثُ وَالطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ الْخَبِيثِ [ الْمَائِدَةِ: 100 ]. يَعْنِي أَنَّ الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْحَلَالِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنَ الْكَثِيرِ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ فَإِنَّ الْحَلَالَ مُبَارَكٌ وَإِنْ قَلَّ ، وَالْحَرَامَ مَمْحُوقٌ وَإِنْ كَثُرَ، كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى: يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ [ الْبَقَرَةِ: 276 ]. وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: إِنَّ الرِّبَا وَإِنْ كَثُرَ فَإِنَّ مَصِيرَهُ إِلَى قُلٍّ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ أَيْ إِلَى قِلَّةٍ، وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: الْبَيِّعَانِ بِالْخِيَارِ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا فَإِنْ صَدَقَا، وَبَيَّنَا بُورِكَ لَهُمَا فِي بَيْعِهِمَا، وَإِنَّ كَتَمَا، وَكَذَبَا مُحِقَتْ بَرَكَةُ بَيْعِهِمَا. وَالْمَقْصُودُ أَنَّ الرِّبْحَ الْحَلَالَ مُبَارَكٌ فِيهِ وَإِنَّ قَلَّ، وَالْحَرَامَ لَا يُجْدِي وَإِنْ كَثُرَ؛ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ شُعَيْبٌ: بَقِيَّةُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ. وَقَوْلُهُ: وَمَا أَنَا عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ. أَيِ افْعَلُوا مَا آمُرُكُمْ بِهِ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ اللَّهِ، وَرَجَاءَ ثَوَابِهِ لَا لِأَرَاكُمْ أَنَا وَغَيْرِي
Translation
✧ The people of Madyan were disbelievers who cut off the way, terrified passersby, and worshipped the Aykah, which was a tree of the thicket surrounded by dense tangled vegetation. They were among the worst of people in their dealings: they diminished the measure and the balance, and they defrauded in them, taking in excess and giving in deficiency. Allah had expanded their provision and spread out their livelihood as a gradual drawing of them from Him, along with their disbelief in Allah. So Allah sent among them a man from their own, who was the Messenger of Allah, Shuʿayb ﷺ. The scholars said: Allah Almighty sent him to Madyan when he was twenty years old. He called them to worship Allah alone with no partner, and forbade them from perpetrating these ugly actions of defrauding people of their things and terrifying them on their roads and paths. Some of them believed in him, while most of them disbelieved until Allah brought severe affliction upon them, and He is the Protecting Friend, the Praiseworthy, as He, Exalted be He, said: "And to Madyan their brother Shuʿayb. He said: O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. A clear proof has come to you from your Lord." That is, a demonstration and a clear argument and a decisive proof of the truth of what I have brought you, and that He sent me; and it was the miracles Allah caused to occur at his hands, whose details have not been transmitted to us, though this expression has indicated them in general. "So fulfill the measure and the balance and do not defraud people of their things and do not corrupt the earth after its reformation." He commanded them to be just and forbade them from wrongdoing and threatened them for the opposite of that, saying: "That is better for you, if you are believers. And do not sit on every path." That is, every road, "threatening," that is, threatening people with seizure of their wealth through tolls and the like, and terrifying the ways. Al-Suddī said in his commentary, transmitting from the Companions: "And do not sit on every path, threatening," that they used to take tithes from the wealth of passersby. Isḥāq b. Bishr said, from Juwaybir, from al-Ḍaḥḥāk, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: They were a tyrannical, insolent people who sat on the road defrauding people, meaning they took tithes from them, and they were the first to institute that. "And turning away from the path of Allah those who believe in Him, seeking to make it crooked." So he forbade them from cutting off the way, both the sensory, worldly one and the conceptual, religious one. "And remember when you were few and He multiplied you, and consider how was the end of the corrupters." He reminded them of Allah Almighty's favor upon them in multiplying them after fewness, and warned them of Allah's vengeance upon them if they opposed what he guided them to and pointed out to them, as he said to them in the other story: "And do not diminish the measure and the balance. Indeed, I see you in prosperity, and I fear for you the punishment of an encompassing Day." That is, do not continue upon what you are doing and persist in it, lest Allah erase the blessing of what is in your hands and make you poor, and take away that by which He enriches you. This is in addition to the punishment of the Hereafter, and whoever suffers both this and that has returned with a losing bargain. So he first forbade them from engaging in what is unbecoming of defrauding, and warned them of the removal of Allah's favor upon them in their worldly life and His painful punishment in their Hereafter, and he censured them most severely. Then he said to them, commanding after having forbidden the opposite: "O my people, fulfill the measure and the balance with justice, and do not defraud people of their things, and do not act wickedly in the earth as corrupters. The remnant of Allah is better for you, if you are believers, and I am not a keeper over you." Ibn ʿAbbās and al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: "The remnant of Allah is better for you," meaning Allah's provision is better for you than taking people's wealth by defrauding. Ibn Jarīr said: What remains for you as profit after fulfilling the measure and the balance is better for you than taking people's wealth by defrauding. He said: This has been narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, and what he said and reported is good, and it resembles His, Exalted be He, saying: "Say: The bad and the good are not equal, even if the abundance of the bad impresses you" [al-Māʾidah: 100]. That is, a little of the lawful is better for you than a lot of the forbidden, for the lawful is blessed even if it is little, and the forbidden is erased even if it is much, as He, Exalted be He, said: "Allah erases usury and increases charity" [al-Baqarah: 276]. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed, usury, even if it is much, leads to little." Narrated by Aḥmad, meaning to scarcity. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The two parties to a transaction have the option as long as they do not separate. If they are truthful and make things clear, they are blessed in their transaction, but if they conceal and lie, the blessing of their transaction is erased." The point is that lawful profit is blessed in it even if it is little, and the forbidden does not avail even if it is much. Therefore Allah's Prophet Shuʿayb said: "The remnant of Allah is better for you, if you are believers." And his saying: "And I am not a keeper over you," meaning do what I command you seeking the face of Allah and hoping for His reward, not so that I or anyone else can see you.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.